Random Writing

Lit Riff

A/N: I wrote this for my creative writing class because we had to choose a song and write a story to go with it. I chose the song "Battle Cry" by The Family Crest, so I recommend listening to the song while reading this piece. Enjoy :)

***

March 22, 1945.

The night was quiet aside from the occasional chirping of crickets and the small chatter of men as they ate their dinner- the same plain pork that they had every day. While most of the men were talking by a fire, telling stories of their lives back home, Charlie Cromwell's attention was directed elsewhere. Away from the ragtag group of soldiers, he was seated under a tree beside a woman.

Near the men, a unit for the US Army's Nurse Corps had set up camp in preparation for the battle that was to come- they were going to take the Rhine tomorrow. Among those nurses was one woman named Katherine Adams, and she was the most breathtaking woman Charlie had ever seen. She was tall, with silky brown hair that she always wore up in a bun, and eyes that were the green hue of a forest in the summer sun. Funny enough, they had met long before this, back when D-Day was first put into action. Despite being from different countries (Charlie being from the UK and Katherine coming from the United States), they had a habit of running into each other; the most recent instance being now, as Charlie and some of his comrades had been separated from their unit, and the US soldiers had picked them up.

Every time they met, Charlie greeted her the same way: "Ello, pretty girl." It was cheesy, but that line was special to the both of them. The first time they'd met, this was how Charlie had decided to start up a conversation- he'd expected a flirty discussion, but she had laughed at his strong accent. And, wow, her laugh had sounded like music to his ears.

The two had hit it off immediately, and now here they were almost a year later, sitting together with Katherine's arms around Charlie's torso as she rested her head against his shoulder. A tranquil wind was blowing by, wafting over the smell of the field of flowers nearby. They were gazing at the stars above them, Charlie pointing one hand toward the sky as he showed her some of the constellations that he could recognize. Not long after, however, the two fell into a comfortable silence. It was getting late, and that meant they'd soon have to part ways until morning, when the battle would begin.

Charlie had kept his gaze toward the sky, but after a few minutes, he could feel Katherine shaking against him. With a frown, he turned his gaze toward the girl, taken back as he saw the fresh tears that were running down her face. The boy immediately reached out to wipe them away. "Katherine, what's 'a matter?" He asked gently, but his voice only caused her to cry harder; she gripped his shirt, hiding her face against his shoulder as sobs overtook her. Charlie placed a hand on her back, gaze bewildered as he tried to understand what was going on. "Please, love, talk to me. Don't cry."

A moment passed before Katherine slowly lifted her head to look Charlie in the eye. "Please don't go tomorrow," she said pleadingly.

"Come on now, you know I 'ave to..."

"No, you don't. What if... what if you get hurt, Charlie? Or killed? I don't want you to go."

"Don't be selfish, Kat," Charlie finally said, averting his gaze to his old boots, which were worn down and filthy. "I 'ave to go and fight, just like everyone else. The sooner we take the Rhine, the sooner this bloody war ends."

"The war will end even if you don't fight-"

"I 'ave to fight." Charlie cut her off, eyes returning to her own. There was a fiery resolution behind Charlie's gaze, one that Katherine had seen before; he always got like this the night before an important battle. "I'm going to end this war." He then stood up, dusting himself off.

Katherine didn't hesitate to stand up as well, and she took Charlie's hands into her own, looking up at him desperately. "Fine, but don't you even think about getting hurt tomorrow."

Charlie was silent for a beat, running a thumb over the back of one of Katherine's hands. Finally, he offered the girl a weak smile. "You know I'd do whateva' it takes to keep you safe, right? I'm fighting for you." He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I would die for you if that's what it took 'a keep you safe."

Katherine took a step back, shaking her head. "Don't say that. You aren't dying, Charles."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Charlie let out a soft laugh. "You're right. We're both gonna make it through this. And when this damn war is over," he pulled Katherine in and briefly kissed her, "I'm going 'a marry you." He grinned brightly as he stepped back, starting to walk back to his group of soldiers before Katherine even had a chance to process his words. "I love you!" He called over his shoulder, and Katherine could only blush with embarrassment at the giggling of some of the other nurses that had heard Charlie's words.

***

The commotion of men the next morning was enough to wake Charlie up. The air was heavy as he stood, watching as the soldiers around him were quickly suiting up; it was time to fight. Grabbing his helmet, Charlie was quick to join the others as they began their advance on the Rhine. His gaze was set straight ahead, holding on to his gun so tight that his knuckles were going white. Today was going to make or break the victory for the Allies.

The men advanced forward, all walking in a tense silence, as they all knew what was about to come. Finally, however, a whistle rang out among the crowd, and it took all but a few seconds for the soldiers to break out into a sprint, going to their designated positions; Charlie found himself crouched down behind the remnants of an old building.

At last, the dreaded sound of gunfire rang out across the town. Charlie joined in on the chaos, barely thinking as he shot at anyone that wasn't wearing a familiar uniform. All of the sounds seemed to blur together - from the sharp ringing of gunfire to the dreadful cries of men calling out for their mothers, it all blended together into one deafening noise. As the battle raged on, it grew harder and harder to see, as nothing but dust and smoke filled the air, burning Charlie's lungs as he ran from cover to cover.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sky had gone dark, the only source of light being the fiery reds of explosions and gunfire; the day's battle surely had to be ending soon. Charlie was ready to go; he was ready to go back and see Katherine again, to hug her and assure her that he was alright, that he had survived another day. He wanted to hold her in his arms, star gazing until they both decided to sleep and start the cycle all over again.

Though, that moment would not come until the battle was called off. For now, Charlie had to focus.

He swerved through the streets, pressing on despite the sick feeling growing in his gut. Charlie soon regrouped with some other soldiers, all of them with their backs pressed against the brick wall of a nearby building.

"Alright, on my call, we're running to the next building. James, Oliver, you two provide cover. The rest of you, follow my lead."

Charlie had approached just in time to hear the commands of Christopher, the man in charge of the American troops that the British lad had joined.

Before the command to run could be given, however, a clinking of metal on the solid ground caught the attention of the group of men. A beat passed before a realization hit.

"GRENADE!"

Charlie was already jumping into action by the time James had shouted. Time seemed to slow down as Charlie leapt forward, throwing his body over the explosive. He looked up toward the sky, realizing the stars were out now. A weak smile graced his lips.

Goodbye, pretty girl.

And then the grenade exploded.